kibi’s Cafe Walnut Creek

I was looking for places to eat near the hotel I'm staying at and this placed popped up. I had the lemongrass tofu banh mi and it was tasty. It's a little bit spicy so it grabbing the Vietnamese ice coffee helps it. Definitely would come back here.

We got the pork banh mi sandwiches to eat on a hike. Veggies were super fresh and meat was delicious! So good. Parking available in the atrium lot. Outdoor tables only.

kibi's Cafe Walnut Creek is located just on the outskirts of the downtown area down the street, and where the old John Muir PT center used to be located. Now it's kind of a desolate business center, but that could certainly be a good thing for parking, as the side where the PT center used to be has nobody there now, though I can't speak for the parkability of those spots without worrying about towing. Nevertheless, kibi does have some spots right next to them. They're kind of in a odd location, at the corner of the front part of the building, but the actual shop front where you order and such is just a small area, where you go in, make your order, and then go outside to wait because there's no space inside. They do have seat behind their shop, which can seat maybe a handful of smaller tables, but at least they have seating, and it is covered from above, but again, weird spot. The menu itself is pretty straight forward. Got banh mis, got some basic spring rolls, and some noodle dishes that includes their grilled meat options. The cost of everything here does seem to be on the cheaper side, especially since it's near Walnut Creek downtown, so a good option to hit up. They even have some lunch specials that are quite comparable where you get a banh mi and a spring roll which is what I got on this visit. The food here was decent. The shrimp spring rolls were good. No complaints, plenty of sauce, and I'm glad it's not filled with mint here as some other places tend to do. The bani mi here was also good, as I got the basic pork banh mi. My main complaint about the banhmi here is that it's tiny. After considering the size of the banhmi I received, and the cost of it, I do feel that it wasn't quite the bang for my buck I had initially imagined when seeing the prices of everything on the menu. The portions of the meats at the very least was good, but again, the size of the banhmi was just so short and small compared to other spots. They also do not use the typically banhmi rolls, and use a different bread, but I don't necessarily hate the bread it comes in, so no big complaints there. Overall, kibi's is a nice spot, especially for those who are in the area, to grab a sandwich and also a spring roll to go, and for a decent cost. While the portion here was just okay, at the very least, the cost makes up for it as it's not expensive, especially when you consider downtown is just down the street, and a banhmi there could cost you 50% more, and you may still be getting the same portion, so not a huge deal in context. I do want to try some of their other sandwiches now, but for heftier eaters, just keep in mind you may need to get two sandwiches to feel full.

What a cute little restaurant tucked into one of the supporting legs of an office building! Kibi's is one of those places that you just get a feeling about, and my instincts were right! I parked to go to another restaurant when I saw Kibi's. I knew (had that feeling) I had to try it! I'm not disappointed! I ordered the Bun salad w/pork and an extra protein side of tofu. The pork and tofu were seasoned oh so perfectly, and they complimented the vermicelli noodles and greens really well! The greens were fresh and crispy and were a delightful melody of mint leaves, lettuce, red cabbage, peanuts and pickled shredded carrots. The combination was tied together by the sweet vinegar dressing that made the salad just short of amazing! Kibi's also serves Vietnamese sandwiches (Bahn mi). The prices are reasonable and the salad serving was generous! It appears to be a family run establishment. The staff was friendly, courteous and efficient. My salad was prepp'd quickly and I was on my way quickly. There's no indoor seating but they have a relatively large outdoor seating area! I was impressed enough to promise myself on my next trip, I'll try the Bahn mi! It's worth the drive if you're in a nearby location!

Food: the Bánh Mì sandwiches from this place are legit. I loved the crunchy exterior on the French baguette roll, which looked almost overbaked at first, but after taking a first bite it was just perfect and soft on the inside. I opted for the most classic #1: Thịt nguội đặc biệt (Cold Cut). It came with pork-hams, shredded chicken, aioli, pâté, julienned daikon and carrot pickle, cucumber, cilantro and jalapeño. This sandwich was so balanced - you got the carbs in the form of the baguette, you got the protein from all the cold cuts which are super savory, the pickled veggies added some freshness, the aioli added some fat, and finally the jalapeño added some kick to each bite. I would get this again for sure. $8 as of July 2024. Service: service was quick, but it wasn't clear to me after an order was placed whether I should stay inside the store, which was super duper tiny, or I should go outside and head to the "pick up" area. We ended up not getting our sandwiches until I had to go to them and ask. But other than that, it was fine. Ambiance: the store inside was super small so you could only use that for placing your order, but to dine in they offered an outside sitting area, which is completely shaded (perfect for a hot summer day).